subject: Protect Yourself From Tractor-Trailers on the Maryland Beltway [print this page] The Maryland Beltway is one of the most dangerous routes in the U.S., with 11 people dead in the first seven months of 2009 and many more injured in auto accidents. Eight lanes of traffic and high congestion require that every driver exercise caution while driving and diligence to maintain vehicle safety. When a tractor-trailer weighs, on average, 50,000 pounds, its driver must be held to stringent standards to prevent these colossal machines from becoming dangerous projectiles that outweigh vulnerable cars. There are 2 million tractor-trailers in the U.S. When even a small fraction of these ventures onto the roadway deemed one of the "worst bottlenecks in history," the resulting tractor-trailer accident can be devastating.
A truck accident attorney has seen many reasons that a tractor-trailer could be involved in tractor-trailer accident. Studies show that 4% of fatal accidents involving commercial vehicles are related to fatigue. It's no wonder that tractor-trailer drivers are overworked when they collectively log in over 139 billion miles and are responsible for 70% of the cargo transported within the U.S. Fatigue is only one of the risks that tractor-trailers bring to the road. If the freight in trailers is not properly loaded and secured, it can shift, causing the driver to lose control. The Beltway, with its high speeds and frequent interchanges, is vulnerable to the dangers that shifting freight pose when drivers frequently change speeds and change lanes.
When you are traveling the Maryland Beltway with tractor-trailers, there are several strategies you can use to stay safe.
Pass a tractor-trailer quickly. When you pass a tractor-trailer, you will inevitably find yourself in the driver's "blind spot." This means that the driver cannot see you in any of his mirrors. The blind spots for tractor-trailers are considerably longer than passenger vehicles. For this reason, pass a tractor-trailer quickly, but without using an unsafe speed.
Maintain a safe distance. Tractor-trailers take about 20% longer to come to a full stop than a car does. Make sure that the tractor-trailer in your rear-view mirror is far enough from you so that if you have to stop suddenly, the rig behind you will not slam into the rear end of your vehicle.
Give the tractor-trailer space. The majority of tractor-trailer accidents on the Maryland Beltway occur in the right lanes where traffic merges. These big rigs simply cannot accelerate as fast as a car. Slow down or speed up to give a tractor-trailer the space it needs to safely merge onto the highway.
Protect Yourself From Tractor-Trailers on the Maryland Beltway
